Random Acts of "Kindness"

The theme of Groundhog Day, the movie, was that the events of the day kept repeating itself. This winter is doing the same thing. First snow comes into the area — a few flakes or a couple of inches. Sometimes a broom is all that is needed, sometimes you need more muscle — a snow blower. For an added bonus, the lake provides a few more inches. Then the temperature drops — zero or below. Then the cycle repeats itself — day after day, week after week. We haven’t had many days above freezing. We haven’t had many days without snow. The snow hills are growing. No end in site. We are trying to break the record — third coldest winter in years.

My health seems to be doing the same thing — Groundhog Day congestion. First the flu — then the congestion, it finally gets better, the cough eases, — the temperature drops. It snows — I sweep off the stairs, the temperature drops; I start sneezing and make chicken noodle soup. The cough worsens.

I finally drove the car by myself — first time in four weeks. My husband has been doing the driving, heats up the car, and drops me off in front of the store. Then if the wind is really blowing, picks me up in front again. I don’t mind being spoiled. BUT I WANT TO BE HEALTHY! Which is why every once in a while I push my limits. Go shopping before the next snow storm.

Since the first of the year I have been tracking the food I eat in the hope of losing a pound or two. I track my exercise too.. I should have tracked the days it snowed and the temperatures but I didn’t. I’m hoping that this WINTER WILL SOON END — THAT I WILL BE HEALTHY.

I took advantage of a day that promised the high twenties and went downtown via the train. It was still very windy. I really didn’t have a choice. I needed to drop off a paper at City Hall in order to get the senior tax freeze. One year I mailed it and they never received it.

I walked right in, didn’t need to wait and walked out just as quickly. I decided to take a bus to the new Italian Eatily — a two story, 15 restaurant and bars that specialized in Italian food and cookware which opened in our city in late December. This was the first chance I had to investigate. An elderly woman was leaving when I did. She had the same mission — to drop off rather than mail the important paper. She knew the buses and offered suggestions — where to catch the bus and which one to take.

Downtown was really windy. I wondered if I shouldn’t just go home but with our weather, I didn’t know when I would be able to return. I was lucky — a bus was at the corner when I reached it. I asked if it was the one I needed and learned it was. The bus didn’t stop at Ohio but the driver alerted me so I wouldn’t have a long walk. I found Eatily right away, only a two block walk.

I wandered both floors, had some soup and bread at a restaurant, treated myself to two chocolate covered oranges for desert and headed for home. I was between two train stops. I knew exactly where one was, the other, although closer might have been harder to find. Luckily the wind had diminished and it was a pleasant walk as long as I didn’t dally. I stopped for coffee, caught the train and just made it home before the snow started.

The next day, our newspaper had an article on Eatily — it covered most of the restaurants and the options available. That night, the evening news featured a gentleman who was celebrating his 111 birthday. He still drives his own car.